Ahmedabad: Architecture, Riverfront and Night Market

Ahmedabad combines the walled city of Ahmadabad on the eastern bank of the Sabarmati River with historic buildings, museums and evening market life. The Sabarmati Riverfront is at the heart of the city; its continuous walkway is nearly 11.5 km long. This offers different ways to plan your trip—from architecture and urban history to the riverfront, art and nature.

Old City and Architectural History

Sultan Ahmad Shah founded the walled city of Ahmadabad in 1411 CE. A heritage walk leads through the old quarter, bringing its architecture, art, religious sites, culture and traditions to life. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation established the walk. Its route runs from Kalupur Swaminarayan Temple to Jama Masjid.

Jama Masjid was built in 1423 and completed in 1424. Its three-storey hall has 260 pillars supporting a roof with 15 domes. At Sidi Saiyyed Mosque, take a closer look at the jalis: they depict intertwined branches of the tree of life. The mosque was completed in 1573. Another architectural highlight is Sarkhej Roza, a complex that combines Persian Islamic influences with indigenous Hindu and Jain features in an Indo-Saracenic style. Hutheesing Jain Temple was completed in 1848.

Museums and Collections

The Gandhi Memorial Museum was inaugurated on 10 May 1963 by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister. It houses the ashram’s library. The Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Museum focuses on ancient and medieval Indian art treasures displayed in more than nine galleries. The museum is part of the LD Institute of Indology. These two institutions have distinct focuses: the ashram library is part of the former’s profile, while art and its institutional connection to Indology define the latter.

Riverfront, Evening Market and Places to Visit

The continuous walkway along the Sabarmati Riverfront stretches for nearly 11.5 km. This gives you a concrete measure to consider when planning time for the riverfront. In the evening, Manek Chowk changes character: the square becomes the Ratri Bazaar, or Night Market. Several restaurants, street-food stalls and ice cream parlours open in the evening and stay open until late at night.

Historic Kankaria Lake surrounds the island garden of Naginawadi, a popular destination for people in Ahmedabad. The bird sanctuaries offer a different focus on nature. Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary covers 120.82 km² and is home to more than 250 bird species; Gujarat declared it a bird sanctuary in 1969. Thol Lake Sanctuary is located near Ahmedabad. Its habitat includes Thol Lake, marshland and scrubland, and provides a home for more than 160 bird species. Together, these two sanctuaries illustrate different dimensions: Nalsarovar is distinguished by its size and number of species, while Thol is characterised by the landscape features listed and its birdlife.

Ahmedabad and the Wider Destination of Gujarat

Within the wider destination of Gujarat, Dholavira offers a different historical perspective from Ahmedabad’s buildings and museums. The archaeological site of the Harappan Civilization was inhabited approximately between 3000 and 1500 BCE and includes a fortified city and a cemetery. Dholavira also provides evidence of long-distance trade with other cities of the Harappan Civilization, Mesopotamia and the Arabian Peninsula. An elaborate water-management system was developed for the challenging arid environment. These regional features are part of Gujarat and should be distinguished from Ahmedabad’s attractions.

Plan Your Stay Around Your Interests

The heritage walk and historic buildings offer a cultural focus; the riverfront, market life and bird sanctuaries each provide a different experience. This lets you tailor your hotel search to your travel interests without prescribing a single type of stay.

Discover more destinations: Ahmedabad, Sanand, Ranpur, Jamnagar, Gandhinagar, Dang, Rajkot, Mehsana.

For the wider travel overview: Gujarat.